Sifted takes you on an amazing and life-changing journey into the mysterious mind and purpose of God. It gives you insight into the intense love God has for us and why He allows all His children to be sifted. It makes the reader have a deeper passion to follow God because it reveals that God is always in control even when our human eyes and mind think otherwise. Every pastor and youth minister should read this book because it is great truth from the Word of God about the importance of being sifted and how God’s sovereignty always wins against Satan’s deception. God has the final say always! It is great encouragement for us as followers of Christ to hang in there and become warriors in the sifting process, never to give up when things get tough, because we miss out on the blessings at the end of the rainbow God has waiting for us.
–Dr. Scott Newton, Student Minister FBC Moore
There is a universal truth that says you will go through trouble. If you are in ministry, you will face your own and get the chance to walk with others through their difficult times. In Sifted, Rick Lawrence walks the reader through an in-depth look at Jesus’ statement to Peter about being sifted by Satan. As you read, you will laugh, cry and be strengthened. There is no easy answer for life’s problems, but Lawrence provides insights and hope that shed light on difficulties. After you read this book, pass it on to someone you know who needs a glimpse of hope.
–Mike Kupferer
Rick Lawrence effectively uses Scripture, personal experience and pop culture references in order to discuss the question of theodicy in Shifted: God’s Scandalous Response to Satan’s Outrageous Demand. Lawrence references Jesus’ final words to Simon Peter before his arrest and crucifixion in order frame the journey that seems common to many believers–a journey through pain, doubt and betrayal that ultimately strengthens us as Christ’s disciples. To answer the question of theodicy, Lawrence basically says that, as with Peter, God uses the failings and painful experiences in life in order to lead us to a point in which we can better minister to others. He never says God creates those failings or painful experiences, but allows them within our sinful world so we might emerge as more faithful. Most helpful within this book are the use of pop culture references in getting the point across as any minister can take these references and weave them into a message that will relate to those to whom he or she seeks to minister. Also, Lawrence raises a great point to ponder in that we often teach so people will apply the lesson to their lives and therefore seek to be better Christians—sometimes implying we can become better Christians through effective application. Instead, we need to teach in such a way that people learn to hunger after God—not just apply a point, but discover a relationship. This point comes up as Lawrence discusses the return we make after the difficult experience, and it is a point we all must consider as we seek to share our experience of faith with others. If you are looking for a book that is a quick read and quickly applicable to the question of how we should use our experience to help others find Christ, this is a book for you. If you are looking for a text that digs into the motivations of Peter and Jesus as they wrestle with the reality of denial and restoration, then perhaps another book exists to assist you on your journey.
–Joel Jackson
You simply don’t have what it takes when you begin in ministry. According to these three well-known, successful church planters no one does. Only after you fail and draw nearer to God through the sifting will you develop the “inner core, the tensile strength of faith that is revealed only under strain.” It’s not that God isn’t with you, but you may not be with Him to the capacity that you need to be to thrive.
This is more than a book of methodology or bumper sticker ideals. Cordeiro takes the lead voice on what it means to discern the will of God, deal with disappointment and die to self so your unguarded strengths don’t become your greatest weaknesses. Although this is written to prospective church planters, this resource will challenge anyone who has embraced a calling to church ministry.
The core truth presented is that our past and present sifting can become one of God’s greatest tools in our lives. Disappointment either will make us leave ministry or become our mentor. Unless we’re aware of the difference, we may miss out on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel throughout seasons of darkness. We simply won’t finish well until we learn how to fail forward, and I can’t think of a better handbook than this to learn what that requires.
–Tony Myles, author, ministry coach, volunteer youth worker and lead pastor of Connection Church, Medina, Ohio.
Rick’s book Sifted, offers an unvarnished look at living out the faith through the physical and spiritual challenges we all face. Through personal stories and other examples, he explicates the discussion of Jesus and Peter in
–Paul Turner, TheDiscipleProject
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